1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sensor device for a fluid power apparatus and in particular a pneumatic cylinder with at least one sensor for producing at least one sensor value on the basis of a property or a condition of the fluid power apparatus, and a sensor communication means for the transmission of the at least one sensor value and to a fluid power apparatus fitted with such a sensor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The fluid power apparatus can for example be a pneumatic cylinder, an electropneumatic hybrid drive or the like. The sensor is responsive to properties or operational states of the apparatus, as for example a position of the piston, pressures in chambers of the cylinder or the like. By way of the sensor communication means, as for instance a digital output interface, the sensor device transmits sensor values, as for example pressure values, position values or the like, of the fluid power apparatus, for example to a controller or regulator for the apparatus. The controller or regulator controls or regulates the apparatus on the basis of the sensor values. A position regulation means finds, on the basis of the sensor values, which constitute actual values, e. g. the desired target position of the piston.
In order to perform such regulation tasks the regulation means must be parameterized in an elaborate procedure. For this purpose for example sensor data, as for example measurement ranges of the sensor device, must be set in the regulation means by parameters. Furthermore elaborate parameterizing must be performed on the basis of physical properties of the fluid power apparatus to be controlled or regulated, as for example travel displacements, piston diameters or the like.